Blues Covers
Many of the groups during this time frame based their act on the old time-tested blues. This page will attempt to list the original songwriter and the groups that recorded their songs. Some groups (I'm lookin' at you Page) did not credit the composer, while others (thanks John) made sure proper credit (& subsequent royalities) were given. |
Note that some of the artists are known by (and writing credit given to) their knicknames. In parens are their legal names and where writing credits are indicated by their real names, they are shown by an asterick. |
Robert Johnson |
Legend has it that Robert Johnson (King Of The Delta Blues) sold his soul to the devil to acquire his guitar-playin' chops. If every folkie had a copy of Harry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music, then every aspiring blues guitarist played this record out. In 2007, Mojo magazine placed it number six on its list of 100 Records That Changed The World . |
King Of The Delta Blues Singers | |
Columbia CL-1654 | |
10/61 [UK: ?/62] | |
Side One | ||
Crossroads Blues | Johnson | 2:28 |
Terraplane Blues | Johnson | 2:58 |
Come On In My Kitchen | Johnson | 2:46 |
Walking Blues | Johnson | 2:28 |
Last Fair Deal Gone Down | Johnson | 2:38 |
32-20 Blues | Johnson | 2:50 |
Kindhearted Woman Blues | Johnson | 2:50 |
If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day | Johnson | 2:34 |
Side Two | ||
Preaching Blues | Johnson | 2:50 |
When You Got A Good Friend | Johnson | 2:35 |
Rambling On My Mind | Johnson | 2:49 |
Stones In My Passway | Johnson | 2:25 |
Traveling Riverside Blues | Johnson | 2:43 |
Milkcow's Calf Blues | Johnson | 2:14 |
Me And The Devil Blues | Johnson | 2:30 |
Hellhound On My Trail | Johnson | 2:36 |
Note: A second volume was released in 1970 (see last 2 notes)
Come On in My Kitchen (1936) | David Crosby (acapella), Delaney & Bonnie & Friends (credited to Payne, a Johnson pseudonym) |
Crossroads (1937) | Eric Clapton's Powerhouse, Cream, The Allman Joys, John Hammond, Ten Years After (as Standing At The Crossroads) |
Four Until Late (1937) | Cream |
Hell Hound On My Trail (1937) | Fleetwood Mac |
Kind Hearted Woman (1937) | The Youngbloods (with awesome mandolin solo) |
Love In Vain (1937) | The Rolling Stones (also credited to Payne) |
Ramblin On My Mind (1937) | John Mayall, John Hammond (as Ramblin') |
Stones In My Passway (1936) | John Hammond |
Stop Breaking Down (1936) | Rolling Stones (as trad) |
Traveling Riverside Blues(1936) | John Hammond, Led Zeppelin (WBCN Rare Tapes) |
Walking Blues (1936) | Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Hammond, Taj Mahal |
Billy Arnold story. | |
I Ain't Got You () | The Animals |
I'm Not Talking () | The Yardbirds |
I Wish You Would () | The Yardbirds |
Big Bill Broonzy story. | |
Key To The Highway (1941) | Derek & The Dominos, Steve Miller Band |
I Feel So Good (1941) | Faces |
Joe Turner () | Tom Rush |
Willie Cobbs story. | |
You Don't Love Me (1960) | John Mayall Bluesbreakers, The Allman Brothers Band, Kaleidoscope, Al Kooper & Stephen Stills, The Groundhogs |
Bo Diddley story. | |
Before You Accuse Me (1957) | Creedence Clearwater Revival*, The 13th Floor Elevators |
Cadillac (1960) | The Kinks* |
Diddy Wah Diddy (with Howlin' Wolf) (1956) | Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band |
Here 'Tis (1962) | The Yardbirds* |
I'm A Man (1955) | John Hammond*, The Yardbirds*, The Who [1st UK album] |
I Can Tell (1962) | John Hammond* |
Mona (1957) | The Iquanas, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Rolling Stones |
Oh Yea (1959) | John Hammond* |
Pretty Thing (1955) | Pretty Things* |
Who Do You Love (1956) | The Blues Magoos, The Blues Project, The Doors*, John Hammond*, Ronnie Hawkins, Quicksilver Messenger Service*, Tom Rush* |
Love Is Strange (with Jody Williams) (1956) | Mickey & Sylvia |
Road Runner | The Pretty Things |
Note: Also of interest is The Story Of Bo Diddley by The Animals (Animal Tracks)
Willie Dixon story. Most recorded first by Howlin' Wolf* or Muddy Waters**. | |
Close To You** (1958) | The Doors |
Back Door Man* (1960) | The Blues Project, The Doors |
Evil* (1954) | Canned Heat |
I'm Your Hoochie-Coochie Man** (1954) | Tim Hardin, The Allman Brothers Band, John Hammond (credit to Waters), The Siegel-Schwall Band |
I Ain't Superstitious* (1961) | Jeff Beck Group |
I Can't Quit You Baby (1956) | John Mayall Bluesbreakers, Led Zeppelin |
I Just Want To Make Love To You (1954) | The Rolling Stones, Cold Blood |
I'm Ready** (1954) | Humble Pie, Long John Baldry |
Little Red Rooster* (1961) | The Rolling Stones |
Mellow Down Easy (1954) | Paul Butterfield Blues Band |
My Love Will Never Die (1952) | Mother Earth |
Seventh Son (1955) | John Hammond, Johnny Rivers, Tim Hardin |
Shake For Me (1961) | The Siegel-Schwall Band |
Spoonful* (1960) | Cream, The Blues Project, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Ten Years After |
Wang Dang Doodle (1960) | Love Sculpture, Savoy Brown |
You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover (1962) | John Hammond, Tom Rush, Cactus |
You Need Love** (1962) | Savoy Brown, Led Zeppelin (as Whole Lotta Love, uncredited) |
(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further** (1956) | The Doors |
You Shook Me** (1962) | Jeff Beck Group, Led Zeppelin |
John Lee Hooker story. Serves You Right To Suffer is based on Memory Pain written by Percy Mayfield (1964) and recorded by Ansley Dunbar and Johnny Winter. | |
I'm Mad Again (1961) | The Animals |
Boom Boom (1962) | The Animals, The Yardbirds |
Dimples (1956) | The Animals, Spencer Davis Group, Canned Heat |
Don't Look Back (1964) | Them |
Don't Turn Me From Your Door (1963) | Savoy Brown |
I'm In The Mood (1951) | John Hammond |
I'm Mad Again (1961) | The Animals |
Maudie (1959) | The Animals |
Serves You Right To Suffer (1965) | J Geils Band |
Note: John Lee Hooker recorded an album with Canned Heat, Hooker 'N' Heat (1/71).
Howlin' Wolf story. Some of his best recordings were written by Willie Dixon. Unfortunately, the names get swapped randomly. | |
44 Blues (1954) | Little Feat*, Johnny Winter* |
Back Door Man (w Dixon) (1961) | The Blues Project, The Doors* |
Down In The Bottom (1961) | The Siegel-Schwall Band* |
How Many More Years (1951) | John Hammond*, Little Feat (w 44 Blues) |
I'm Leavin' You (1958) | John Hammond* |
Killing Floor (1964) | The Electric Flag*, Led Zeppelin (as The Lemon Song, uncredited), Kaleidoscope (as Tempe Arizona, uncredited) |
Little Babe (1961) | The Siegel-Schwall Band* |
No Place To Go (1954) | Fleetwood Mac* |
Ooh Baby (1965) | Fleetwood Mac* |
Sitting On Top Of The World (1957) | Cream* |
Smokestack Lightning (1956) | The Animals*, The Yardbirds*, Manfred Mann |
Spoonful (1960) | Cream, The Blues Project, Ten Years After |
Sugar Mama (1964) | Fleetwood Mac* |
Tell Me (1960) | The Siegel-Schwall Band* |
Note: Howlin' Wolf is featured on the "One-Offs" page with his album The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (8/71).
Elmore James story. | |
Dust My Broom [Dust My Blues] (1951) | Canned Heat, John Mayall Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, Taj Mahal, John Hammond |
It Hurts Me Too (1957) | Grateful Dead (as Traditional), John Mayall Bluesbreakers (credit to London), Savoy Brown (credit to London), Chuck Berry with The Steve Miller Blues Band (credit to Berry), Bob Dylan (credit to Dylan), Richie Havens (no credit) |
Done Somebody Wrong (1959) | The Allman Brothers Band |
Shake Your Moneymaker (1961) | Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Fleetwood Mac, John Hammond |
Note: John Mayall wrote a tribute song: Mr James, available on Looking Back (8/69).
Skip James story. | |
I'm So Glad (1931) | Cream, Deep Purple |
Blind Lemon Jefferson story. | |
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (1927) | Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary (as One Kind Favor) |
BB King story. | |
Rock Me Baby (1964) | The Animals, Blue Cheer Jefferson Airplane (as Traditional) |
It's My Own Fault (1951) | Johnny Winter |
Note: B B King is featured on the "One-Offs" page with his album Indianola Mississippi Seeds (10/70).
Leadbelly story. | |
In New Orleans (House Of The Rising Sun) () | The Almanac Singers, Joan Baez, Dave Van Ronk, The Animals |
Midnight Special (1939) | Johnny Rivers, Spencer Davis Group, Van Morrison, Creedence Clearwater Revival |
Blind Will McTell story. | |
Broke Down Engine (1931) | Johnny Winter, John Hammond |
Statesboro Blues (1927) | The Allman Brothers Band, Taj Mahal, John Hammond, Tom Rush, Dave Van Ronk, The Holy Modal Rounders, The Rising Sons, The Youngbloods |
Billy Myles story. | |
Have You Ever Loved A Woman () | Derek & The Dominos |
Blind Joe Reynolds story. | |
Outside Woman Blues (1929) | Cream (credited to Arthur Reynolds) |
Otis Rush story. | |
Double Trouble (1958) | Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers |
Muddy Waters story. | |
Got My Mojo Working (1956) | Manfred Mann, The Zombies, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Rotary Connection |
Honey Bee (1957) | Savoy Brown* |
I Can't Be Satisfied (1948) | John Hammond |
I Want You To Love Me () | John Hammond* |
Look What You've Done (1960) | The Rolling Stones |
Long Distance Call (1951) | John Hammond* |
Louisana Blues (1950) | The Animals, The Blues Project*, Savoy Brown |
Rollin' And Tumblin' (1950) | Cream*, Canned Heat, Johnny Winter |
Rolling Stone (1950) | Humble Pie |
Trouble No More (1955) | The Allman Brothers Band* |
Two Trains Running [aka Still A Fool] (1951) | Blues Project*, John Hammond* |
Note: Muddy Waters is featured on the "One-Offs" page with his album Fathers & Sons (8/69).
Bukka White story. | |
Parchman Farm Blues (1940) | Blue Cheer, The Blues Project, John Mayall Bluesbreakers, Johnny Rivers |
Sonny Boy Williamson story. | |
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (1937) | Grateful Dead, Taj Mahal, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter |
Sonny Boy Williamson story. | |
Baby Please Don't Go () | Eric Andersen, Al Kooper |
Checkin' Up On My Baby (1960) | Taj Mahal, John Mayal Bluesbreakers |
Eyesight To The Blind (1951) | The Who |
Got To Move () | Fleetwod Mac |
Help Me (1963) | Canned Heat, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter |
No More Lonely Nights () | Al Kooper & Elvin Bishop |